The present invention relates, in a general sense, to a device for creating a vertically disposed air current capable of suspending one or more humans within the current, but, more importantly, a multi-faceted system for both the training and entertainment of members of the public who wish to experience the exhilaration of free fall flight in any one of several selected simulated environments, including, but not limited to, the capacity to play games in a state of free flight suspended animation.
1. Field of the Invention
There is an innate aura of excitement and anticipation, particularly in the minds of the American public, surrounding the sensation of weightlessness which accompanies a free fall from significant heights. Unfortunately, there are few, if any, facilities which permit one to satisfy this appetite in a safe and reasonably economical environment. There are, of course, facilities which teach and otherwise foster the sport of sky diving. However, such facilities are inordinately expensive, primarily because of the nature of the equipment required, the cost of operation and the attendant risks. Clearly, exiting an airplane at 10,000 feet or more poses an element of real danger to the student.
Alternatively, for the feeling of weightlessness, or suspended animation, one may find, from time to time, a touring carnival which features, as part of its menagerie, a barrel-type device which is rotatable, while folks line the perimeter, and which relies on centripetal force to suspend the participant against the side wall of the barrel while the floor is lowered so as to offer no supplemental support. Such devices are poor substitutes for the sensation of flight that most of those who seek such thrills hope to emulate.
2. Overview of the Prior Art
While the art is rife with efforts to create a device that will simulate the weightlessness of the skydiving experience, there are few that attempt to create a virtual environment which stimulates one""s senses to the extent that he will experience a sense of free fall without the attendant dangers.
An example of such an effort may be found in Kitchen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,909. In Kitchen, an otherwise conventional wind tunnel is enhanced by use of a projection screen covering approximately 120xc2x0 of the side wall of the tunnel, which operates in concert with a series of several projectors, controlled by a transmitter on a back pack strapped to the user""s body, to emulate clouds or the like, and, by such, creating the illusion of free fall from a substantial altitude. The nature of the equipment required to maintain the illusion which Kitchen envisions, is both awkward and cumbersome, and the number of flyers who may enjoy the experience simultaneously, is severely limited.
As an aside, but of no particular relevance, a second patent was issued, this time to another Kitchen et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,110.
Further, it appears rather clearly that the intent and purpose of Kitchen is training, in that the projectors are intended to create virtual emergencies from which the student can recover on a step-by-step basis. Further, the student needs to have sufficient control over his or her attitude to remain in view of the projection screen, or the intent and purpose of Kitchen et al. is lost.
As previously stated, there is an abundance of art directed to wind tunnel configurations, ranging from the more current, among them including Consolini patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,811; Lenhart patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,490; Methfessel patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,593,352, and 5,209,702 to the earlier efforts, among them, Olshevsky patent U.S. Pat. No. 1,811,364; Hastings patent U.S. Pat. No. 2,799,460 and Norheim Jr, patent U.S. Pat. No. 3,484,953. It will be appreciated that the earliest of the patents were directed to testing apparatus for aircraft, although in 1969, Norheim, Jr. envisioned a device for simulating free fall for humans.
The Lenhart patent, which appears to be the most recent entry, discloses a massive system that supports as many as a dozen players on an air cushion, divided into teams to play a ball game. The system is huge and would require an enormous amount of power, at a not insignificant cost, to create the air cushion, making it impractical, if not impossible, to build.
There are, of course, several patents issued in the ""80s, but those located do not appear to bear on the patentability of the present invention.
The present invention relates to a convertible chamber in which a vertical column of air is created which is sufficient to suspend at least two persons, sometimes referred to as flyers, in the chamber, while permitting those suspended to move within the column to simulate free fall conditions, and/or play a game, as the persons elect.
Additionally, the walls of the chamber are of such color, e.g., blue or green, and of such material, that one may video tape or film the activity in the chamber against the side walls, to create a base or primary film. Thereafter, by use of Blue Screen technology on the primary film, which is a well known technique for imposition of an image, or images, on the background created by the wall, a fantasy may be created. For example, a war scene with fighter planes and bursting bombs might create the sensation of the flyer suspended in the middle of a battle.
Consistent with the invention, it is an objective to create an enclosure which is variable in diameter, in which one might experience a variety of free fall maneuvers, both by xe2x80x9cfeelxe2x80x9d, in relative safety, and at a cost which renders such an experience accessible to almost anyone who would wish to give it a try.
It is a further objective, consistent with the foregoing, to provide an interactive enclosure that can serve both as an amusement and a serious training facility.
A still further objective of the present invention is to provide a system as described, wherein an inner chamber is removably positioned in order to vary the diameter of the chamber in order to accommodate a specified a number of flyers.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to create an atmosphere from which a subsequent video tape may be fabricated by superimposing a variety of images on the side walls of the chamber, with the result that a taped scene or sequence may be provided for later use in film productions, or simply for the entertainment of the flyer and friends.
Other objects and advantages derived from the use of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art from a study of the following detailed description thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: